Chapter 65: Plan of action
Rohan kept his breathing slow and steady.
He couldn’t afford even the slightest abnormality right now.
Liam had his back turned, yes, but a man like that wouldn’t stay unaware forever. He was too sharp, too cautious, too consumed by what he was doing to completely let his guard down. Rohan likely had seconds at most before the window closed.
He lowered his gaze to the small red orb resting in his hand.
Elane’s Spike Beast Bow. It was a solid weapon, that was for sure; otherwise there wouldn’t be so many people eager to enter this gate and have a try at acquiring one themselves.
But the power of a Normal tier weapon was far too limited, especially on an occasion like this one.
’Come on...’
He willed the Origin Energy inside his body to move.
Unlike when he had fed Origin Crystals to his Evolution Gene, this time the process was familiar enough that he didn’t panic when the current stirred almost immediately. It rushed through him in warm, dense streams, gathering in his hand and then spilling into the bow.
’Wow, it actually worked without having to bind it to myself first!’
It was a small experiment Rohan wanted to try, and he was naturally glad that it worked. ’This confirms it. Not only can I evolve other people’s Genetic Armaments, but if I don’t need to absorb them to do so, I might even be able to do evolve other’s genes too!’
This realisation was unprecedented. Just imagine the kind of power that could be wielded by he and Elane when both of them were equipped with top not Elite tier Equipment.
’Maybe even Commander tier at some point...’
The Spike Beast Bow reacted at once.
Despite not being absorbed, Rohan had a clear image of what was happening to the bow inside of his mind, thanks to his Evolution Gene linking with it.
A faint black-grey sheen spread over its surface, then deepened. The crude but sturdy texture of the original weapon began to subtly change, smoothing in some places while darkening in others. The natural curves of the bow grew sharper, more refined, more dangerous.
Its limbs lengthened slightly.
The material thickened.
The conjured spike-arrow resting along the string trembled, then dissolved before reforming longer and denser than before.
Rohan’s eyes sharpened.
’Quicker! There’s not much time left before Liam focuses his attention back over here!’
He twisted just enough to keep his body shielding the bright red orb from Liam’s line of sight.
The process was much faster than gene assimilation.
Just a directed surge of evolution flooding through the weapon and forcing it into a new state.
The dark lines running through the bow grew more pronounced, like veins of dark oak spreading through living bone. A subtle pressure rose from it too, giving it a much more intimidating feel to it. It no longer felt like a decent low-rank armament.
Now it truly felt dangerous, even to him. This bow could probably make it a decent way through his Firestone Skin. ’All the more reason to take more care around unfamiliar people. They could pull out an Elite tier weapon capable of injuring me for all I know.’
Rohan’s lips twitched.
Then the process ended so cleanly it almost made him suspicious. It was the same as his Horned Rabbit Spear’s evolution. The process seemed so mundane, as if the world wasn’t fazed by the fact that he’d just evolved a Normal tier Genetic Armament to Elite tier.
But the weapon in his grasp was undeniably different now.
[Spike Beast Bow has evolved to F rank Spike Beast Bow (Elite)]
Rohan’s pulse hammered once.
He forced himself not to look pleased, lest Liam or even Elane noticed something different about him. The less suspicion he gathered, the higher likelihood of his plan working.
Instead, he quietly absorbed the bow. Elane wasn’t surprised by this action — in fact, she was confused why he hadn’t done it sooner instead of just staring at it for a few seconds beforehand.
Rohan shifted his grip and angled the bow down beside his leg after summoning it, hiding as much of its changed appearance as he could. Fortunately, the differences weren’t so dramatic that someone would instantly notice at a glance — at least not unless they were already paying close attention.
Liam still hadn’t turned.
He was too engrossed in admiring the half-transformed beast on the platform, too obsessed with his own approaching triumph.
That arrogance might just save them.
Rohan slowly lowered his hand and, using his bloodied finger again, wrote a second message on his forearm.
’One shot. Wait for my move.’
Elane read it.
Her face stayed tight with pain and fear, but her eyes sharpened slightly as understanding dawned. It was time to enact his plan, whatever that plan was.
But right now, she was completely out of the fight, unable to help out until those dreaded stone-like vines were dealt with.
But Rohan didn’t move. Now wasn’t the time.
His fingers wrapped tightly around the newly evolved bow, testing the feel of it while keeping the weapon hidden low by his side.
The difference was immediate, impossible to ignore now that it had settled into its new form.
It was a good weapon, far better than anything he and Elane could have hoped to find before coming to this godforsaken gate.
But that was the problem, it was too good for him.
Rohan had used a spear from the moment he awakened. Spears just made sense to him, their balance, their reach, their versatility — all of it fit naturally within his hands.
A bow did now. That was Elane’s forte.
It required familiarity, precision, a sense for distance and tension and release.
He had none of that, which meant the next few steps of his plan all came down to a gamble.
Liam stood there like a priest before the alter. His back was still turned, posture relaxed.
There wasn’t the slightest hint of urgency in him. Only obsession.
Rohan waited for the perfect moment to arise...
—Then lifted the bow, conjuring a much more fierce looking spike for an arrow.
Elane’s eyes widened in shock and confusion seeing the new appearance of her bow, but she didn’t have time to let it sink in.
Rohan fired his shot.